MASTER 
NEGATIVE 


NO.  95 


COPYRIGHT  STATEMENT 


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Author: 


Francis  Perot's  Sons 
Malting  Company... 

Title: 

Historical  sketch  of  the 
oldest  business  house. 

Place: 

Philadelphia 

Date: 

[1 907] 


^9 -a  3/^2 -s 

MASTER    NEGATIVE   # 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
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Francis  Perot *s  sons  malting  company  of  Phila- 

dolphia# 

Historical  sketch  of  the  oldest  business  house 
in  Anorioa,  established  in  1687 i  the  Francis  Pe- 
rot's sons  malting  company  of  Philadelphia* 
e Philadelphia,  J.-B.  Lippincott,  190-| 

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ScKooI  of  Businew  Library      ^ 
Columbia  University  * 


^'2 


THE 

OLDEST 

BUSINESS 

HOUSE 

IN 

AMERICA 


G- 


THE  FRANCIS  PEROT'S  SONS 
MALTING  COMPANY 
PHILADELPHIA 


httlietftlpofUmfdrk 

THE  LIBRARIES 


School  of  Business 


THE  OLDEST   BUSINESS 
HOUSE     IN     AMERICA 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH 


OF 


THE    OLDEST    BUSINESS 

HOUSE 
IN    AMERICA 


ESTABLISHED  IN  16S7 


^* 


»     .    •' 


-    '       •    < 


THE   FRANCIS  ■PEROT'S   SONS 

1 

MALTING  COMPANY 

OF  PHILADELPHIA 


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ERHAPS  nowhere  in  the  New  World 
exists  a  place  where  respect  for  old 
institutions,  historical  relics,  and  an 
honorable  family  name,  is  more  gen- 
eral than  in  the  City  of  Philadelphia. 
A  walk  through  the  old  part  of  the 
town  will  reveal  a  large  number  of 
buildings  that  are  venerable  and  hoary 
with  age,  and  about  which  are  told 
many  reminiscences  and  interesting  stories  bearing  upon  early 
Colonial  and  Revolutionary  times.  Most  of  these  old  structures 
are  in  a  fine  state  of  preservation,  and  every  care  is  being  taken 
to  preserve  them  where  they  are  of  historical  interest. 

Closely  identified  with  these  old  buildings  are  many 
firms  whose  existence  dates  back  to  their  inception  more  than 
a  century  ago,  as  was  proven  by  the  forming  of  an  association 
of  centenary  firms  and  corporations  of  the  United  States  on 
June  12,  1889,  in  which  are  eligible  only  those  firms  or  cor- 
porations that  are  controlled  by  descendants  of  the  original 
founder  who  controlled  them  a  hundred  years  ago.  After  an 
exhaustive  search,  it  was  found  that  The  Francis  Perot's  Sons 
Malting  Company  was  the  oldest  in  continuous  existence, 
having  descended  from  father  to  son  for  eight  generations. 
This  house  is  older  than  the  Bank  of  England,  which  dates 
back  to  1694. 

[5 


f  tgtortcal  ^feetc^  of  t^c 


THE  STAR  MARKS  THE  ORIGINAL  MALT-HOUSE  AND  BREWERY 


firgt  dgeneratton 

The  founder  of  the  house,  Anthony  Morris  2d,  was  born 
in  the  City  of  London  on  August  23,  1654,  a  record  of  his 
birth  being  still  extant  in  St.  Dunstan's  Church,  Stepney, 
London,  which  has  records  back  to  the  year  1000  A.D.  His 
father,  who  was  also  named  Anthony,  was  captain  of  a  mer- 
chant vessel  trading  between  London  and  Barbadoes,  and  was 
lost  at  sea  in  1655  while  returning  from  Barbadoes.  He 
was  survived  by  his  wife  and  only  child.  Shortly  after  his 
death  Mrs.  Morris  found  it  necessary  to  go  to  Barbadoes  and 
settle  her  husband's  affairs.  She  died  soon  after  her  arrival, 
about  1660,  leaving  Anthony  the  Second  an  orphan  at  the  age 
of  six  years.  He  came  to  this  country  in  February,  1682 
(old  style),  bringing  with  him  his  wife  and  his  only  living 
child,  Anthony  Morris  the  Third,  and  settled  at  Burlington, 
New  Jersey,  fourteen  miles  up  the  Delaware  River  from  Phila- 
delphia. He  remained  there  until  1686,  when  he  returned 
down  the  river  and  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  thriving  hamlet 
which  the  great  Penn  had  founded  on  the  broad  and  Christian- 
like principles  of  honest  trading  and  fraternal  love.  In  West's 
painting  of  Penn's  Treaty  with  the  Indians,  Anthony  Morris 
the  Second  is  depicted  as  carrying  a  cane  (which  is  still  in  the 
family),  and  with  a  broad-brimmed  hat,  according  to  the  dress 
of  Friends  at  that  period. 

6] 


flDlDtjSt  "BujiiueiSiS  i^oujse  in  amcrtca 


OF  ANTHONY   MORRIS  ON  THE   PHILADELPHIA   WATER   FRONT  IN  1720 


In  the  following  year,  1687,  he  purchased  a  lot  on  the 
east  side  of  Front  Street,  below  Walnut,  facing  the  Delaware 
River,  and  erected  thereon  a  malt-house  and  brewery.  There 
were  no  architectural  frills  or  cathedral  glass  trimmings  about 
the  premises;  the  machinery  was  primitive  and  crude,  the 
**tuns^'  and  "rounds"  out  of  proper  proportion,  the  "copper" 
of  limited  capacity,  no  doubt;  but  the  "bitter"  evolved  was 
rich  in  nutritious  and  invigorating  ingredients.  Contempo- 
raneous documents  vouch  for  its  pure  and  wholesome  charac- 
ter and  for  its  popularity  among  the  hardy  and  God-fearing 
pioneers  of  the  Keystone  State. 

The  Philadelphia  Library  have  in  their  possession  an  old 
painting  which  is  hung  to  the  left  of  the  main  entrance  into 
the  upper  audience  room.  The  title,  in  quaint  lettering,  reads: 
"The  Southeast  Prospect  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  by 
Peter  Cooper,  Painter."  It  represents  a  view  of  Philadelphia 
from  the  Delaware  River  as  the  town  appeared  in  the  year 
1720.  The  index  in  the  margin  of  said  painting  directs  atten- 
tion to  a  gable- roofed  building  in  the  lower  left-hand  corner 
of  the  scene  as  "Ant.  Morris'  Brew  House." 

The  old  building  was  long  since  torn  down  to  make  way  for 
the  necessities  of  the  growing  commercial  life  of  the  city.  The 
building  now  on  the  site  contains  a  memorial  stone  to  per- 
petuate its  character.     The  Baptist  denomination  met  in  the 

[7 


i^igtortcal  ^ftetc^  of  tl^e 


original  building  for  worship  from  November,  1698,  to  1707. 
Prior  to  that  time  they  had  worshipped  in  a  little  one-story 
frame  building  jointly  with  the  Presbyterians.  The  latter  finally 
dispossessed  the  former,  and  Anthony  Morris  offered  the 
Baptists  the  use  of  his  brew-house  for  their  services. 

The  occupation  of  brewing  was  at  that  time  followed  by 
prominent  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  who  were  lead- 
ing men  in  the  community,  and  the  beer  was  highly  esteemed 
for  its  purity  and  strength.  Watson  says:  ^^In  the  early 
period  of  Philadelphia  it  was  very  common  for  good  livers  to 
have  malt-houses  on  their  several  premises  for  making  home- 
made strong  beer.  There  were  such  as  J.  Logan's  at  Penns- 
burg,  and  several  others,  until  seventy  years  ago.''  Gabriel 
Thomas,  in  his  account  of  Philadelphia  and  the  Province  in 
1696,  published  probably  in  1707-9,  states:  ^^The  brewers  sell 
such  beer  as  is  equal  in  strength  to  that  in  London,  half  ale 
and  half  stout  for  fifteen  shillings  per  barrel;  and  their  beer 
hath  a  better  name,  that  is,  it  is  more  esteemed  than  English 
beer  in  Barbadoes,  and  is  sold  for  a  higher  price  there.'' 

The  brewery  of  Anthony  Morris  Second  is  said  to  have 
been  the  second  of  record  as  to  certain  location,  the  first  having 
been  that  of  William  Framton,  in  that  same  neighborhood,  in 
Front  Street  between  Walnut  and  Spruce. 

Anthony  Morris  Second  held  many  positions  of  emolu- 
ment and  trust  in  the  infant  Commonwealth,  a  strong  indication 
of  the  confidence  and  esteem  in  which  he  was  universally 
held.  He  was  the  second  Mayor  of  Philadelphia,  Edward 
Shippen  having  been  the  first.  About  the  year  1705  he  became 
Supreme  Judge  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Pennsylvania.  He 
died  in  1721. 


^econt>  dgencratton 

In  1706  Anthony  Morris  Second  made  over  a  share  of 
his  business  to  his  son,  Anthony  Morris  Third.  The  latter 
was  born  in  London,  England,  March  15,  1681-2,  and  upon 
the  death  of  his  father,  on  August  23,  1721,  he  was  left  the 

8] 


€)U>e!St  TBiijSinejSjs  l^ouge  in  amenca 


remaining  interest  in  the  business,  according  to  his  father's 
will,  as  follows: 

**  To  my  son  Anthony  Morris,  my  bank  and  water  lot  in  Phila- 
delphia, with  brewhouse,  malthouse,  brewing  utensils,  negroes,  horses 
and  cattle  (except  one  cow,  which  I  intend  tor  my  wife)." 

When  Anthony  Morris  Third  arrived  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen years  he  put  himself,  with  the  consent  of  his  father,  an 
apprentice  to  Henry  Babcock  and  Mary  his  wife,  to  learn  the 
art  and  mysteries  of  brewing,  to  serve  for  seven  years  from 
the  29th  day  of  February,  then  called  Twelfth  month,  in  the 
year  1695-6,  as  can  be  seen  by  the  following  copy  of  indenture: 

"  This  indenture  witnesseth  that  Anthony  Morris  of  his  own  free 
will  and  with  ye  consent  of  his  Father  Anthony  Morris  of  Philadelphia 
Merchant  signified  by  his  signing  &  sealing  hereby  Hath  put  himself  an  ap- 
prentice to  Henry  Babcock  of  Philadelphia  aforesaid  Brewer  &  Mary  his  wife 
unto  the  art  or  trade  of  a  Brewer  hereby  obliging  himself  after  ye  manner 
of  an  apprentice  with  them  to  dwell  &  serve  from  ye  day  of  ye  date  hereof 
for  and  during  the  term  of  seven  years  from  thense  next  ensuing  and  fully 
to  be  compleat  &  ended.   By  &  during  all  which  term  the  sd  apprentice 
Anthony  Morris  Junior  doth  covenant  and  promise  to  &  with  the  sd  Henry 
Babcock  &  Mary  his  wife  that  he  shall  &  will  well  &  faithfully  serve  them 
the  sd   Henry  &  Mary  as  his  Master  &  Mistress,  their  secrets  he  shall 
keep,  their  commands  lawful  &  honest  every  word  he  shall  obey,  their 
hurt  or  damage  he  shall  not  contrive  or  do  nor  suffer  to  be  done,  but  prevent 
&  hinder  the  same,  &  from  their  service  he  shall  not  absent  himself,  nor 
the  art  &  mystery  of  brewing  he  shall  not  disclose  or  discover  to  any 
person  or  persons  during  ye  sd   term  without  the  special  leave  or  license 
of  his  master  &  mistress  and  in  all  things  and  at  all  times  he  shall  carry 
and  behave  himself  as  a  good  true  &  faithful  servant  and  apprentice  towards 
the  sd  Henry  Babcock  &  Mary  his  wife.      Jn  consideration  whereof  and 
of  ye  summ  of  Twenty  pounds  in  hand  paid  by  the  sd  Anthony  Morris  to 
the  sd  Henry  Babcock  &  Mary  his  wife,  doo  hereby  covenant,  promise, 
&  grant  to  &  with  ye  sd  Anthony  Morris  Junior  that  him  the  sd  Anthony 
Morris  in  ye  sd  art  &  trade  of  a  Brewer,  with  all  the  mistery  &  secret 
which  they  now  use  or  may  hereafter  discover  herein  they  shall  &  will 
teach  &  inform  or  cause  to  be  taught  &  informed,  according  to  ye  best  of 
their  knowledge,  skill  &  judgement,  and  also  shall  &  will  find  &  allow 
unto  their  sd  apprentice  sufficient  meat,  drink,  washing,  lodging,  &  mend- 
ing of  his  linen  &  woolen  cloaths.      And  that  they  shall  not  put  him  to 
drive  the  dray  or  cart ;  carrying  of  casks,  grinding  at  the  hand  mill  or 

[9 


If 


i^igtorical  ^feetci^  of  tl?e 


such  like  slavish  work  not  fitt  for  an  apprentice  of  his  degree,  anything 
herein  contained  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  And  the  sd  Anthony 
Morris  Senior  doth  hereby  covenant  &  promise  to  find  &  maintain  his  sd 
son  with  all  necessary  cloathing  during  the  said  term  of  his  apprenticeship. 
««In  witness  whereof  the  sd  parties  to  these  presents  have  mter- 
changeably  sett  their  hands  &  seals  hereunto  the  29th  day  of  the  12th 
month  called  February  Anno  Domini  1695-6." 

HENRY  BABCOCK 
mark 
MARY  M.  BABCOCK 

Signed,  sealed  and  delivered 

in  presence  of  us 

NEHEMIAH  ALLEN 

ISAAC  SEFFIN. 

On  October  4,  1715,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  Com- 
mon Council,  and  at  that  time  members  were  chosen  for  hfe. 
In  1721  he  was  elected  Representative  from  Philadelphia  in 
the  Assembly  of  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  re- 
elected in  1722,  1723,  1724,  and  1725.  In  1741  he  purchased 
a  large  brick  dwelling  on  the  west  side  of  Second  Street,  be- 
tween Arch  and  Race,  on  the  lot  in  the  rear  of  which  he  later 
built  a  malt-house  and  brewery.  He  resided  here  until  his 
death,  September  23,  1763. 

Cl}<rti  dgeneration 

Anthony  Morris  Fourth,  son  of  Anthony  Morris  Third, 
was  born  in  Philadelphia  on  November  14,  1705.  On  De- 
cember 10,  1741,  his  father  gave  him  a  half  interest  in  the 
original  old  brewery  property  on  Front  Street;  but  as  this 
had  been  used  for  over  fifty  years,  he  purchased  a  lot  at  the 
corner  of  Dock  and  Pear  Streets  in  1745,  and  built  a  new  and 
much  larger  establishment.  (This  building  was  in  a  good 
state  of  preser\^ation  until  about  1900,  when  it  was  torn  down.) 
He  selected  this  lot  on  account  of  the  presence  of  several 
springs  on  the  property.  The  fact  was  told  by  Timothy 
Matlack  in  his  early  days,  when  connected  with  that  brewery, 
10] 


€)lt>esit  TSujiinesiji  t^ouge  in  America 


that  ^^  they  once  esteemed  their  beer  as  surpassing  any  in  the 
city,  from  the  use  of  that  spring,  which  they  concealed  and 
kept  a  secret." 


DOCK  AND  PEAR  STREETS  BREWERY 


if ourtl)  dgeneration 

Anthony  Morris  Fifth  and  Thomas  Morris,  both  sons  of 
Anthonv  Morris  Fourth,  conducted  the  malt-house  and  brew- 
ery  situated  in  the  rear  of  the  large  house  their  grandfather 
Anthony  Morris  Third  had  built  on  the  west  side  of  Second 
Street  above  Arch,  which  property  ran  back  to   Bread  Street. 

Anthony  Morris  Fifth  was  born  October  8, 1738.  When 
the  Revolution  broke  out,  he  joined  the  American  forces  with 
the  rank  of  Major.  He  was  killed  at  the  Battle  of  Princeton 
on  July  3,  1777.  When  he  joined  the  army,  his  brother, 
Thomas  Morris,  was  left  in  entire  charge  of  the  business; 
but  Anthony  Morris  Fifth  was  succeeded  in  business  by  his 
brother.  Captain  Samuel  Morris.  The  latter,  however,  with- 
drew from  the  partnership  after  two  years. 


k  1 


tigtorical  ^feetci^  of  tl)e 


SECOND  SI  KKET   BKEUERY 


CUDeut  l3ujsfuesi)S  f  ousie  (n  america 


Captain  Samuel  Morris  was  Commander  of  The  First 
Troop  Philadelphia  City  Cavalry,  which  served  throughout  the 
Revolution  as  bodyguard  of  General  Washington.  This  Troop 
served  also  in  the  War  of  1812  and  the  Civil  War,  and  is  still 
prosperous.  Captain  Morris  was  forty-six  years  Governor  of  the 
old  Fish  House  of  the  State  in  Schuylkill,  which  was  founded 


THOMAS  MORRIS  SECOND 


•^] 


in  1732;  and  up  to  the  present  time  his  name  has  been  toasted 
at  every  meeting  of  that  society,  his  being  preceded  only  by 
those  of  George  Washington  and  Abraham  Lincoln.  There 
is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  family  a  letter  which  General 
Washington  wrote  to  Captain  Morris,  of  the  First  City  Troop, 
conveying  his  thanks  for  their  v^aluable  services  in  the  war  for 

[•3 


Tff\. 
1        k 


i^igtotlcal  ^mti)  of  t^t 


independence.  It  remains  in  the  original  silver  case,  with 
likeness  of  General  Washington,  set  in  gold,  which  Captain 
Dunlap,  of  the  Troop,  prepared  and  presented  to  ^'his  friend,'' 

Captain  Morris. 

Thomas  Morris  was  born  on  Second  Street,  below  Dock, 
on  January  25,  1746.  He  was  much  interested  in  educational 
matters,  was  an  Overseer  of  the  Public  School,  and  a  member 
of  the  Committee  having  in  charge  the  building  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Library,  and  of  the  Committee  which  superintended 
the  building  of  the  Westtown  Friends'  Boarding  School.  He 
was  a  Manager  of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  and  the  Phila- 
delphia Contributionship  for  the  Insurance  of  Houses. 

fifti^  dgeneration 

Thomas  Morris  died  in  1809,  and  was  succeeded  in  busi- 
ness by  two  of  his  sons,  namely,  Thomas  Morris  Second  and 
Joseph  S.  Morris.  Upon  the  death  of  Joseph  S.  Morris, 
Thomas  Morris  Second  became  sole  owner  of  the  malt-house 
and  brewery,  as  well  as  the  dwelling,  which  his  great-grand- 
father had  built  on  North  Second  Street.  He  was  born  in 
this  house  on  July  13,  1774,  and,  like  his  father,  was  a  Man- 
ager of  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital  for  a  number  of  years,  as 
well  as  interested  in  many  philanthropic  institutions  of  the 
city.  Like  all  of  his  forefathers  in  this  country,  he  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  He  died 
April  14,  1841. 

^trtl)  dgeneration 

Francis  Perot,  son  of  Elliston  Perot,  was  born  on  Market 
Street,  below  Eighth,  Philadelphia,  on  August  23,  1796.  His 
father  and  his  uncle,  John  Perot,  were  engaged  in  the  East 
India  trade. 

While  employed  in  his  father's  counting-house  at  the  age 
of  about  fifteen  years,  he  was  sent  to  bank  one  day  to  make  a  de- 
posit.   On  his  way  he  passed  the  brewery  of  William  Dawson, 

14] 


€)lDegt  13UiBitnegg  l^ouge  in  America 

where  he  was  attracted  by  some  work  in  progress.  Mr. 
Dawson,  noticing  that  he  was  taking  an  interest,  inquired  as 
to  who  he  was,  saying:  ^^Thee  is  a  good,  strong-looking  lad; 
what  is  thy  name?"  Upon  being  told,  he  replied:  ^^Thee 
would  make  a  good  brewer."  Mr.  Dawson  invited  him  to 
look  through  the  building.      The  lad  was  so  delighted  with 


FRANCIS   PEROT 


what  he  saw  that,  upon  his  return,  he  told  his  father  he  wished 
to  become  a  brewer.  His  father  consenting,  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  Thomas  Morris  for  six  years,  having  to  pay  his  em- 
ployer a  fee  of  one  thousand  dollars  for  the  privilege.  The  first 
two  years  he  spent  in  the  malt-house,  and  one  year  as  a  miller. 

[•5 


Btgtorical  ^feetcl^  of  ti^e 


While  so  employed  he  had  to  daily  carry  ninety  bushels 
of  malt  on  his  back  to  the  third  floor,  where  it  was  ground, 
and  then  carry  it  one  story  higher.  For  one  year  he  was  m 
the  cellar,  after  which  he  was  given  charge  of  the  brewing. 
Three  mornings  a  week  he  had  to  get  up  at  1  o'clock  to  brew. 
After  his  apprenticeship  he  took  the  malt-house  of  Samuel 
Downing,  at  Downingtown,  for  one  winter,  and  in  1818  he 


VINE  STREET   MALT-HOUSE,  JI4  VINE  STREET 

purchased  the  brewery  and  malt-house  on  the  south  side  of 
Vine  Street  between  Third  and  Fourth.  About  a  year  after- 
ward he  took  into  partnership  his  brother,  William  S.  Perot. 
In  1823  he  married  Elizabeth  M.  Morris,  daughter  of  his 
former  employer,  Thomas  Morris.  For  some  years  after 
Francis  Perot  had  entered  in  business  on  Vine  Street,  Thomas 
Morris  continued  at  the  old  place  on  Second  Street.  It  was 
not  infrequent  that  Francis  Perot  went  to  Thomas  Morris's 
to  brew  for  him,  and  finally  he  succeeded  to  his  business.  The 
1 6] 


mt^m  ismnm^  mmt  m  America 


cream  beer  and  table  beer  brewed  by  Francis  Perot  enjoyed  a 
most  enviable  reputation,  and  its  fame  was  known  far  and  wide. 

The  Perot  branch  of  the  family  also  has  a  lineage  which 
extends  far  back  into  the  centuries.  The  first  of  the  name  to 
come  to  this  country  was  James  Perot,  who  setded  at  New 
Rochelle,  New  York,  in  1687.  He,  with  many  others,  left 
France  on  account  of  his  religious  beliefs.  His  son  went  to 
Bermuda  to  live,  where  the  family  remained  for  a  number  of 
years.  Early  in  1785  Elliston  and  John  Perot  setded  in 
Philadelphia  and  engaged  in  the  West  India  trade  on  North 
Water  Street,  next  door  to  Stephen  Girard,  in  which  business 
they  continued  for  many  years.  Elliston  Perot  was  the  first 
person  to  locate  his  summer  home  at  what  afterward  became 
the  celebrated  watering-place.  Long  Branch,  New  Jersey.  To 
reach  there  it  was  necessary  for  his  family  to  drive  across 
New  Jersey  from  Philadelphia. 

There  is  an  interesting  story  connected  with  the  Perot 
family,  which  may  appropriately  be  told  here.  About  the 
time  of  the  St.  Bartholomew  Massacre  in  Paris,  one  of  their 
Huguenot  ancestors,  James  Perot,  and  nineteen  others  were 
condemned,  on  account  of  their  religious  opinions,  to  be 
placed  each  in  a  separate  cell,  with  the  door  walled  up,  to  re- 
main there  without  food  or  water  for  twenty-one  days.  At  the 
end  of  this  period  the  walls  of  the  doors  were  taken  down,  and 
all  except  James  Perot  were  found  to  have  starved  to  death. 
In  his  case  it  happened  that  a  chicken  had  a  nest  in  a  dark 
corner  of  his  cell  and  came  daily  through  a  small  hole  or 
window  and  laid  an  egg.  These  eggs  gave  him  the  liquid 
and  solid  nourishment  sufficient  to  keep  him  alive. 

Another  historical  fact  that  should  be  mentioned  here  is 
that  in  1819  Francis  Perot  had  erected  one  of  the  first  sta- 
tionary steam-engines  in  America,  in  his  brewery  on  Vine 
Street,  Philadelphia.  It  was  built  by  Thomas  Holloway,  and 
was  in  constant  operation  for  over  fifty  years.  It  is  now  at 
the  new  plant  of  the  company  at  Buffalo,  New  York,  where  it 
is  kept  as  an  historical  relic.     It  is  believed  to  be  the  oldest 

[»7 


i^igtortcal  ^fectc^  of  t^e 


Stationary  steam-engine  built  in  America,  and  consists  of  a 
vertical  cylinder  forty  inches  long,  which,  together  with  a 
valve  chest,  was  bolted  to  a  condenser  box  five  feet  long,  two 
feet  deep  and  twenty  inches  wide.     This  condenser  was  kept 


OLD  STEAM  ENGINE 


filled  with  cold  water.  The  piston  connected  by  a  shaft  with 
a  walking-beam  on  the  floor  above.  On  this  revolved  a  six- 
foot  fly-wheel  and  the  driving  pulley.  The  governor,  a  vast 
affair,  was  also  rigged  upstairs.  The  engine  was  of  a  low- 
pressure  type,  and  developed  about  ten-horse  power.  The 
gauge  consisted  of  a  tube  about  six  feet  long,  containing  a 
considerable  quantity  of  mercury,  from  the  top  of  which  pro- 
jected a  stick  marked  as  a  pressure  indicator. 
18] 


mum  :6UiBitneiBiiS  f  ouiBie  in  America 

Francis  Perot  continued  brewing  and  malting  until  1850, 
from  which  time  he  gave  his  entire  attention  to  malting,  giving 
up  brewing  altogether. 


f 


/^ 


T.    MORRIS   PEROT 


^etentl^  dgeneration 

T.  Morris  Perot,  the  son  of  Francis  and  Elizabeth 
Marshall  Perot,  daughter  of  Thomas  Morris,  graduated  from 
the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  in  1849.  On  January 
1,  1851,  he  started  in  the  wholesale  drug  business  at  No.  21 

[»9 


1$imvical  ^mc\)  of  ttjt 


mmt  OBugmegg  f  oujEie  in  america 


North  Fourth  Street,  and  a  year  later  took  into  partnership  with 
him  Edward  H.  Ogden,  the  husband  of  his  only  sister,  under 
the  firm  name  of  T.  Morris  Perot  &  Co.  After  a  disastrous 
hre  at  their  wholesale  drug  store,  No.  621  Market  Street,  in 
1869,  they  went  into  partnership  with  Francis  Perot  at  Nos. 
310  to  320  Vine  Street,  Philadelphia,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Francis  Perot's  Sons.  Their  business  grew  rapidly,  and  in 
conjunction  with  their  Vine  Street  malt-house  they  operated 
one  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Twenty-first  and  Spruce  Streets, 
and  later  one  at  Thompson  and  Hutchinson  Streets.     In  1882 


OSWEGO    MALT-HOUSE 


they  bought  a  malt-house  on  the  Erie  Canal  at  Oswego,  New 
York,  in  order  to  be  nearer  the  Canadian  barley  fields.  This 
malt-house,  which  originally  was  operated  on  the  floor  system, 
they  greatly  enlarged  and  altered  into  a  pneumatic  house,  and 
it  was  in  constant  operation  for  twenty-five  years.  As  the 
storage  capacity  of  the  malt-house  was  limited,  they  also 
acquired  a  large  elevator  on  the  canal.  Both  plants  are  oper- 
ated by  water-power. 

In  1887  the  firm  was  incorporated  under  the  title  of  The 
Francis  Perot's  Sons  Malting  Company,  the  officers  being  T. 

20] 


Morris  Perot,  President;  Edward  H.  Ogden,  Vice-President; 
Elliston  Perot,  Secretary,  and  Theodore  F.  Miller,  Treasurer. 
While  in  the  drug  business,  during  the  War  of  the  Rebel- 
lion, T.  Morris  Perot  invented  a  combined  ambulance  and 
drug-store,  which  was  adopted  by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment and  other  countries,  and  was  used  in  the  field  exclusively 
by  the  Union  Army  during  the  war  and  for  a  number  of 
years  afterward. 


OSWEGO   ELEVATOR 


He  was  interested  in  many  public  affairs  in  Philadelphia, 
and  for  more  than  forty  years  was  President  of  the  Mercantile 
Library  Company,  during  which  time  the  library  grew  from 
23,000  to  over  175,000  volumes.  At  one  time  it  was  the 
largest  library  in  the  United  States.  He  was  also  President 
of  the  Woman's  Medical  College  of  Pennsylvania  for  over 
thirty  years.  This  was  the  first  woman's  medical  college  in 
the  country.  He  always  took  an  active  interest  in  the  Phila- 
delphia College  of  Pharmacy,  of  which  he  was  a  director,  and 
was  interested  in  many  charities  and  in  municipal  movements 
for  the  betterment  of  the  city. 

I" 


f  igtorical  ^ftetcD  of  t\)t 


Edward  H.  Ogden,  who  married  the  daughter  of  Francis 
Perot,  was  also  a  graduate  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy,  and  through  all  of  his  life  was  associated  with  T. 
Morris    Perot  in   business.     He  was   likewise   interested   in 


FRANCIS  PEROT  OGDEN 


many  charitable  and  educational  organizations,  taking  an  active 
part  in  the  upbuilding  of  Swarthmore  College.  He  was  a 
Director  of  the  Consolidation  National  Bank,  and  at  one  time 
Vice-President;  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  Director 
of  the  Provident  Life  and  Trust  Company  and  a  number  of 
charitable  institutions. 


22 


] 


mnm  Buginegg  i^ouge  in  amcrica 


€ig\)t\i  (Bcncratton 

It  was  the  desire  of  Francis  Perot  that  he  should  event- 
ually be  succeeded  in  business  by  his  three  grandsons,  Francis 
Perot  Ogden,  Elliston  Perot,  and  T.  Morris  Perot,  Jr. 

Francis  Perot  Ogden  was  born  on  January  4,  1855,  and 
for  a  number  of  years  was  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Francis 


MALT-HOUSE  AND  GRAIN  ELEVATOR,  BUFFALO 

Perot's  Sons.  He  died  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-two  years, 
but  had  been  most  active  in  the  conduct  of  the  business  as 
well  as  interested  in  a  number  of  charities.  After  his  death 
in  1887  the  present  company  was  incorporated,  and  is  now 
represented  in  the  eighth  generation  by  T.  Morris  Perot,  Jr., 
President,  and  Elliston  Perot,  Vice-President  and  Treasurer! 
The  present  Secretary,  Mr.  Theodore  F.  Miller,  has  been 
associated  with  the  business  since  January,  1864. 

[^3 


hit 


mt^m  igugtnegg  l^oiigt  ill  America 

Finding  that  the  old  buildings  of  the  company  were  in- 
adequate for  the  manufacture  of  malt  of  the  best  quality, 
which  it  has  always  been  their  desire  to  produce,  and  not 
hav^ing  sufficient  capacity  to  meet  the  increasing  demands  of 
the  trade,  the  company,  in  1907,  erected  a  large  malt-house  of 
brick,  steel,  and  concrete  at  Buffalo,  New  York.  This  house 
has  a  capacity  of  about  1,000,000  bushels  per  annum,  and  is 
fitted  out  with  all  the  latest  machinery.  The  system  of  malt- 
ing used  is  that  of  the  Saladin  Pneumatic  Malting  Construc- 
tion Company.  The  grain  elevator,  having  a  capacity  of 
400,000  bushels,  is  located  about  fifty  feet  distant  from  the 
malt-house.  It  consists  of  cylindrical  tanks  of  reinforced  con- 
crete, which  has  been  found  well  adapted  for  the  storage  of 
grain.  The  machinery  installed  for  the  cleaning  and  handling 
of  both  barley  and  malt  is  all  of  the  latest  and  most  improved 
type. 

We  do  not  believe  that  there  is  another  house  in  exist- 
ence in  the  United  States  to-day — and  it  is  doubtful  whether 
there  is  one  in  England — that  can  present  a  continuous  un- 
broken line  of  descent  in  one  line  of  business  such  as  this. 
There  are  certainly  none  in  the  brewing  and  malting  trades 
that  have  existed  in  one  family  for  more  than  two  hundred 
years.  It  is  a  record  of  which  the  surviving  members  of  the 
family  are  justified  in  feeling  proud-  During  its  two  centu- 
ries of  existence,  amid  all  the  vicissitudes  of  a  commercial  life, 
in  "good"  times  and  in  *' bad  "  times,  it  has  always  main- 
tained the  highest  standard  of  business  probity  and  commer- 
cial honor,  without  a  single  stoppage  of  any  kind.  Its  founda- 
tions, like  those  of  the  city  of  the  immortal  Penn,  were  laid 
in  enduring  materials — fair  dealing,  strict  business  integrity, 
and  rugged  personal  honesty.  The  forefathers  builded  well, 
and  each  succeeding  generation  has  added  fresh  laurels  to  a 
proud  record  and  additional  honor  to  an  untarnished  name. 


24] 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 

TTib  book  U  due  on  the  date  indicated  below,  or  at  the 
expiration  of  a  definite  period  after  the  date  of  borrowing  as 

ment  with  the  Librarian  in  charge. 


DATE  BORROWED 


DATE  DUE 


DATE  BORROWED 


DATE  DUE 


CaB(l14l)M100 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  ,j:|BRAR^^ 


0041421213 


cc 


/^'il«vV?f 


D303 


P84 


Francis  Perot's  Sons  Malting  Com-  • 
pany.  t      . 

The  oldest  business  house  in  1   i 


J)3'=>Z 


^^e-v 


SEP  2  7  J945 


END  OF 

TTLE 


